Page 39 of Second-Rate Superstar

Raising an eyebrow, Cal countered, “That’s not exactly how I remember it.”

She smirked up at him. “Well, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it as the sole owner of that voicemail.” Turning to me, Hannah said, “Tell me more about this girl. I need all the deets to set a plan in motion.”

I shrugged. “Not much to tell. Met her at a party Levi threw at the house. She was taking notes for a book she’s writing about hockey, even though she hates anything and everything associated with sports. I offered to help her with research.”

Blue eyes bulging, a wicked grin curved on Hannah’s face. “Hold up. Did you say she writes books?” I nodded. “Like, naughty books like Nat reads?”

“No.” I shook my head. Wait. Did she? “No,” I repeated, shaking that notion from my brain. “Definitely not.”

“You sure?” She gave me a doubtful expression.

“I don’t think so. She was more interested in the mechanics of the game.”

I could see the wheels turning in her head, and I knew I was in big trouble.

“I have an idea,” she declared.

Benji snickered. “Oh, I can’twaitto hear this.”

Hannah stared down the men seated around the table. “Who amongst us knows the most about hockey?”

Oh, no.

“Hannah, I don’t think—” I began.

She silenced me by holding up both hands. “Look.” First, she waved her right hand. “She wants to learn about hockey.” Then, she waved her left hand. “You want to get into her pants, or for her to fall in love with you, or both. I don’t really care.” She clapped her hands together. “I’m the bridge between those two things.” Leaning her elbows on the table, she stared me down. “Let me do this. I have a one-hundred percent success rate when it comes to the couples inside this group. You’d be a fool not to take me up on my services.”

Jaxon nudged me from the side. “She has a point. Hannah might be unorthodox, but she gets results.”

Letting Hannah butt in on my love life could end one of two ways. She could send Dakota running, screaming for the hills, or she could be the foot in the door I needed. Hannah was a child of hockey. She grew up inside the sport. Not only that, she was dating a former player and held an internal position with the team. Hockey was her life all day, every day. Who better to show Dakota that her ideas about athletes were all wrong?

It was a long shot, but I knew I had to try.

“Okay.” The word flew past my lips.

Giddy, Hannah beamed at me. “Ooh! This is going to be so much fun! I thought when Benji brought Liv and Knox home, that was our group’s final drama. Everyone’s all paired off and making babies.” She made a gagging sound. “What were we all supposed to do? Live happily ever after? Bor-ring.”

“I have no objections to the happily ever after and babies.” Jaxon raised his hand.

“Me too,” Benji declared.

Spinning in her seat, Hannah pinned Cal with a glare. “Don’t you be getting any ideas.”

Nipping at her lower lip, Cal smiled as he pulled away. “Baby, it took ten years off my life when I saw you buying a basket full of pregnancy tests for the girls. We’re on the same page.”

“Good.” Turning back to the table, she snagged a beer and drained it. Placing the bottle down, she leaned over, nearly toppling out of her chair, so I reached out my hands to steady her. Then, she grabbed my face, kissing me firmly on the mouth. “Operation Get Braxton His Girl is on!”

The second her lips touched mine, I froze like a deer in headlights. Cal had already broken the cardinal rule on the Comets of touching Coach’s daughter, but this went beyond that. She was another man’s girl.

A growl sounded over the music, and a breeze wafted across my face with the force of Hannah being wrenched from my arms.

Daring to peek up at the giant of a man known as Cal Berg, I shrank back at the murderous expression on his face. I was seconds away from wetting myself. He was a big, scary dude, and I’d witnessed the destruction he could do to a man’s face on the ice.

Turning his attention to Hannah, he gripped her chin, his voice rough as he said, “I think you did that on purpose. You know I don’t fucking share, baby girl.”

You could hear the sass in her voice as she replied, “What are you gonna do about it?”

She was poking the bear, and gleefully so. Even before they hooked up, their dynamic had always been fire and ice, but it worked for them. I was beyond thankful he was taking his ire out on a willing Hannah instead of me.

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